Melaleuca alternifolia
Middle note
Keyword: Antiseptic
Like lavender, tea tree is a must for the first aid box. One of few oils that can be used neat on the skin. Excellent for cleaning cuts, bites and grazes. Australian Aborogines have used it in medical treatment for thousands of years. It is believed to be 11 to 13 times as strong as carbolic acid.
Tea tree can be applied neat on a cotton bud to spots and boils. It has a very strong antiseptic, antibiotic action, helpful treating infected acne (with great care as it can strip the skin). It is also good for treating thrush(2-3 drops added with a little milk to a sitz bath) and athelete's foot (add a few drops to a bowl of water and soak the feet for upto 10 minutes) as well as using in a vapouriser to help revitalize, freshen and purify the air in any room.
Method of Use:
Massage: Mix up to 2 drops in total with other essential oils for massage, Making the blend a total of 6 drops diluted into a carrier oil of your choice. In all cases, less is more.
Diffuser/oil burner: 4-5 drops in TOTAL with other essential oils.
Bath: Can be mixed with other essential oils, never exceed MORE than 6 drops in total for the oil blend. Add the oils to an egg cup of full fat milk to disperse in the bath water.